How to Record Drums

Undoubtedly, recording drums can be very tough and costly but this does not mean that it is impossible. With strong determination, dedication and reasonable knowledge, it is possible for a person to record drums. Nevertheless, the real challenge in recording drums is due to the fact that the loud sound of the drums that covers most of the spectrum and makes it difficult for a normal mic to record the beat. Depending on your pocket range, you can use various types of mics that will help you in recording the drum beat.

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Instructions

1

Tune drums

Undoubtedly, drums are among the most expensive equipments that is owned by any band and should be kept with care otherwise they will be ruined. First of all, you should buy reasonable drums for recording and practice on them to improve your drumming skills. The most important thing before recording is to tune up your drums. Remember that, you must tune up your drums properly and check the sound before recording. Tuning the drums makes it easier for a person to get the best sound out of his/her drums. It does not matter how advance your recording set-up is, you will still need to tune your drums.

2

Ask the drummer to play a track

After you have tuned the drums, you must ask the drummer to play a track on it, so that you could evaluate it for any deficiencies. Playing a drum in studio is totally different from playing it on a live stage as many things are exposed in the studio.

3

Choose dynamic mic for snare drum and kick drum

For snare drum, you must choose a dynamic mic as it is able to pick up the snare in a comfortable manner. For this, it is strongly recommended that you must choose Shure SM57 because of its versatility, affordability and durability. You can also choose the similar kind for a kick drum but you must make sure that the frequency of this mic is low. For a kick drum, you can choose AKG D-112 but if your budget is limited then you should use the same one as for a snare drum.

4

Set up diaphragm around the drummer

You must set up a diaphragm of mics on the left and right side of the drummer as this will help you give a nice stereo tone.

5

Set recording levels

You should ensure that the recording level of your mics is not too high as this will create the dreaded sound.